Automatic feeder and exerciser.



J. WALLACE.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER AND EXBRGISER- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1911.

Patented Dec.31, 1912.

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J, WALLACE.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER AND EXBROISER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1911. 1,048,77 1 Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

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' UNITED STATEF: PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB WALLACE, OF PLYMOUTH, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER AND EXERCISER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB WVALLAon, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plymouth, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Feeders and Exercisers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in poultry feeders, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved simple and effective type of means for feeding the grain.

Further and other objects will later appear.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan View showing the cover removed, Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the feed disk, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken through the baiting device.

In the embodiment of the invention a hopper 1 is employed having a funnelshaped bottom portion 2 which terminates in a flat bottom proper 3 which is formed with a central comparatively large opening 4. The top of the hopper is closed by a cover which includes a cone-shaped portion 5 to which a depending rim 6 is riveted, the latter being received on the interior of the hopper 1, the hopper having its upper or free end curled outwardly as at 7 to form an abutment engaging the under face of cone 5 to thereby restrict the inward movement of the cover, and at the same time to provide a rounded edge which will not cut the cover.

8 designates a series of legs which are preferably formed of channel iron riveted to the outer side of the hopper by means of which the latter is supported above the ground.

On the interior of the hopper in the coneshaped portion 2 thereof a horizontal cross bar 9 is located, the latter having its ends 1O bent upwardly at an angle to the body of the cross bar and secured by means of bolts 11 to the cone-shaped part 2. The cross bar 9 is located at a distance above the bottom proper 3 and is provided with a central perforation through which the upper end of the vertical rod 12 extends. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be observed that the opening 13 through which the upper end of rod 12 extends is of greater diameter Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 12, 1911.

Patented Dec. 31,1912.

Serial No. 632,812.

than the latter in order to not only permit the rod 12 to rot-ate with respect to the cross bar 9, but in addition to permit the same to have an oscillatory movement, that is to say the rod 12 is capable of being swung in any direction out of the vertical toward and away from the legs 8. The ends of the rod 12 are threaded and the upper end thereof is provided with a nut 14 and a lock nut thereabove designated 15, the nut 14 engaging on the top face of cross bar 9 by virtue of which engagement the rod 12 is suspended in an obvious manner.

A. flat feed disk 16 is mounted on the upper end of rod 12 in the space between the bottom 3 and cross bar 9 and is held on said rod in adjustable position by means of nuts 17 and 18 the latter engaging on oppo site sides of the disks 16 and hold the same rigid with respect to the rod 12. It will be observed that by proper manipulation of the nuts 17 and 18 that the disk 16 may be adjusted to move the same toward or away from the opening 4 in order to regulate the feed of the grain, permitting the latter to egress through opening 4 in regulable quantities.

On the under face of the disk 16 and in spaced relation so as to provide aplurality of feed passages 20, in such spaces between the blades 19. The blades 19 terminate at the periphery of the disk 16. It will be seen that the baldes 19 provides a series of agitators the pointed lower ends of which in the oscillatory movement of the latter will dig into the grain so to speak and move the same toward the feed outlet 4. This is a desideratum inasmuch as the rod 12 is given an oscillatory movement oftener by the poultry than a rotatable one.

A cone-shaped deflector 22 is formed at its apex on the interior thereof with an enlarged portion 23 provided with a threaded perforation through which rod 12 passes and by virtue of which the deflector may be moved toward and away from feed outlet 4.

24 designates a horizontally disposed bar which is formed with a perforation through which the lower end of rod 12 passes, nuts 25 and 26 engaging the bar 24 on opposite sides thereof. The bar 24 is preferably formed in two sections as shown in Fig. 2,

the bar 24: being of equilateral triangular cross section. A sheet of rubber 27 is placed over the sides of the bar 24 and is secured thereto by virtue of a series of rivet-s 28 the latter passing through the two sections of bar 24 and serve to not only secure the latter together but in addition secure the rubber sheet 27 in position. The rubber sheets 27 are utilized for the purpose of allowing the poultry to'peck at the same.

What is claimed is:

1. In a poultry feeder in combination with a hopper having a central feed outlet inits bottom, a cross bar in the hopper arranged above the bottom thereof, said cross bar having an opening, a rod having a baiting device at its lower end and having its upper end passed through the opening of the cross bar, said opening of the cross bar being of greater diameter than the diameter of the rod to permit the latter to have an oscillatory movement in addition to a rotary movement with respect to the cross bar, a fiat feed disk secured to the rod above the hopper bottom and below said. cross-bar and being formed on its under face with a series of spaced V-shaped blades which point downwardly toward the hopper bottom. so

that when the rod is oscillated said blades will dig into the feed and move the same toward the feed outlet during the oscillation of the rod.

2. In a poultry feeder in combination I with a hopper, having a feed outlet in its bottom, a rod extending through the outlet i and carrying a baiting device on its lower end, means for mounting the rod at 1ts nates in a flat bottom proper having a comparatively large opening, a horizontal cross bar having its ends secured to the funnel shaped bottom portion above the bottom proper, a rod having a baiting device on its lower end and having its upper end threaded and loosely extending through the opening of the bottom proper, the cross bar having an opening of greater diameter than that of the rod through which the threaded end of the latter loosely passes, a fiat feed disk adjustably mounted on the threaded end of the rods and disposed between the cross bar and the bottom proper of the hopper, a series of downwardly projecting pointed elements carried on the under face of the disk and having their points surrounding the opening in the bottom proper of the hopper, and means on the extreme upper end of the rod to engage on the cross ,bar to support the rod against downward movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB WALLACE. Witnesses:

D. E. HEFFMAN, E. K. TRANGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

